Research News

UB deans strongly support the vision for RENEW

“Cities, urban activities and our built
environment are some of the greatest contributors to global
environmental change. They have profound effects on energy
infrastructure, land use, water quality and the atmosphere.
At the same time, ecological and sustainability ethics have
significantly influenced the disciplines of architecture, urban
planning and design. With this initiative, the School of
Architecture and Planning has an unprecedented opportunity to work
across the disciplines to advance new knowledge and research on
these globally significant issues.”

Robert Shibley, dean, School of Architecture and Urban Planning

“The College of Arts and Sciences has expertise in
scientific issues regarding environment, energy and water, in
addition to related matters of policy, the Great Lakes and
Canada-U.S. relations. The RENEW initiative will bring into
sharper focus the extensive research, scholarship and educational
activities of our faculty members and their many existing
collaborative relationships — on and off campus — that
further our understanding of these areas. At the same time,
RENEW will position the University at Buffalo to play a more
vigorous role in addressing — through knowledge building and
outreach — important science, public health and policy
questions, questions that will be central to the nation’s
agenda for the foreseeable future.”

E. Bruce Pitman, dean, College of Arts and Sciences

“There are pressing global problems associated with
energy, water and the environment. In launching RENEW, UB will hire
innovative researchers that compliment an already world-class team
of interdisciplinary faculty who are working to create a more
sustainable world. RENEW also will help UB consolidate its
reputation as a leader in research, scholarship and innovation
— a central component of the UB 2020 plan.”

Liesl Folks, dean, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

“UB RENEW is an innovative and cross-decanal collaborative
initiative at the cutting edge of interdisciplinarity. It is
true to UB’s mission as a public research university whose
research inquiries merge the global and the local. RENEW’s
three pillars — energy, environment and water — are of
central importance to the Buffalo Niagara region and critical to
the future of our planet. The work of the institute has the
potential to make UB a global destination for scholars and
policy-makers. It is important, too, that RENEW will educate
a new generation of UB students in some of the most pressing
challenges of our time. Above all, RENEW could serve as a new
model for collaborations across UB in keeping with UB
2020. The Law School is very pleased to be a partner with
other decanal units in this exciting and promising initiative. I
believe it opens a new frontier for thinking about synergistic
pursuits at UB.”

Makau Mutua, dean, UB Law School

“The management of energy and environmental concern is
typical of the complex and multifaceted mega-problems that
will loom large in the coming decades. The School of
Management is eager to incorporate these concerns into management
research and education. From system-wide optimization of a
complex energy grid to the study of consumer behavior in the
presence of green alternatives, the faculty of the School of
Management have much to contribute to the UB-wide
interdisciplinary research agenda of RENEW.”

Arjang Assad, dean, School of Management

“Our school is honored to be part of the RENEW
initiative. Energy, water and the environment will present
some of the most critical issues for public health in the next
decades. Both local and global health issues will develop from how
we cope with the challenges arising from reducing pollution from
energy sources and trying to maintain clean, affordable water
supplies. Without a healthy environment, the health of the
public will suffer locally and globally.”

Lynn Kozlowski, dean, School of Public Health and Health Professions

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